


The Only One

by lasairfhiona



Series: love_bingo [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Community: 1_million_words, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-07-25
Packaged: 2017-12-21 07:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set 20 years in the future.  Clint reminisces about his time with Phil</p>
<p>love_bingo: The One</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only One

Clint let loose the last arrow in his quiver and stepped back to set his bow down on the table behind the three shooting lanes and pulled his quiver from his back. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his ring out and slipped it back on his hand. Looking at the gold and diamond 'PC' he smiled and thought of the day that Phil put the ring on his hand. That had been more twenty years ago now. Phil had surprised him with their rings, asking him to marry him while they were on a rare romantic vacation. He never took it off unless he was using his bow, and then it was in his pocket or tucked under his shirt on a chain where Phil's ring with his initials now hung.

"Director Barton?"

Clint turned and looked at the young agent he and Phil had taken under their wing before Phil was killed in the crash. "Owens. Here for a little practice?" he asked as he walked down the lane to collect his arrows. 

Owens waited until he was back with a handful of arrows before answering, "Not really, Sir, I was kind of looking for you, being the anniversary and all."

Clint couldn't help but smile. Leave it to Jack Owens to be the only one who would mention the day and its significance to him. Everyone else had been either avoiding the subject or avoiding him in general. But then Owens had felt Phil's death almost as acutely as he did. Phil had recruited him and then had gone back in the field for the first time in years to be his handler until some who could understand Owens and work with him was found. Coincidently enough it ended up being Kate Bishop who took over as Jack's handler. Kate and Jack had almost the same kind of working relationship as he and Phil had as handler and agent.

"How about a drink Owens?" he asked wanting to get out of headquarters and away from the looks the others were trying not to let him see.

"I'd like that, Sir."

"Let me put this away and we can go," Clint said as he packed up the arrows and carefully laid his bow in the case. 

Once he had his bow and spare arrows stowed, Clint noted how Owens fell into place next to him as they walked through the halls of the headquarters. He felt a kinship to the young sniper. They had gone through similar things as children and he knew Owens was often harassed because of their closeness; it had been the same way with him when Phil and Nick recruited him. 

*&*

Clint and Jack sat at the bar with a beer in hand talking quietly about Phil, remembering the good times and a few of the funny stories or more embarrassing moments they had shared with Phil as agents under him. And Clint shared some more personal moments from his life with Phil, even confirming rumours about their fondness for reality TV as something mindless to watch when they needed to decompress. Jack shared what Phil's confidence in him had meant to him and how without it Jack didn't know what would have happened to him. 

"You know I was half in love with him for a long time," Jack admitted at one point.

"I know," Clint acknowledged, he'd seen all the signs of it and it was why he and Phil brought Jack into their circle. "He was a hard man not to love or at least for those who weren't scared shitless of him," he said with a laugh.

"You never were though, scared of him, I mean."

Clint shook his head. "Not in the least. To recruit me, he shot me, and then he took care of me until we could be evacuated. He always had my back even when I did some stupid fool thing that would have left other handlers throwing me under the bus. And he never, ever, left me without backup in the field. Everyone came home or Phil didn't come home until they did."

The younger man usually let him talk never asking questions, but there was one thing Jack wanted to understand because he'd never known that kind of love. "There was never anyone else for you was there?"

He knew there were several ways to answer that question, but he knew Jack meant in terms of loving someone else. "I gave up a lot when I fell in love with Phil and it was the best decision I ever made. He was my everything."

"You haven't thought of finding someone else?"

Clint shook his head. "No. No one could ever compare to him. He was the only one for me," he softly answered as he twisted the ring on his finger. He looked into his pint of beer knowing Jack wouldn't push him to talk. 

He knew he had brooded long enough. He never liked to mark Phil's death, he didn't like thinking about the day he lost the love of his life. So he tried to focus on their time together.

Clint motioned to the bartender for another round and when glasses of Balvenine were set in front of them, Jack picked up his glass and raised it. "To Phil," he said then tripped his glass towards Clint's.

"To Phil," he echoed. He missed Phil and he knew his lover would like the man Jack had become. He also knew Phil would get a giggle out of the fact he was Director of SHIELD, but it was all because of him and the love and confidence Phil had shown him. He also knew that if Jack stayed on course with Kate, he would one day be Director and in some small way Phil was responsible for that too.

"Let’s get out of here," Jack suggested, dropping a wad of cash on the bar and waving off Clint's protest. "No, sir, this is on me."

"Let's go back to my place, and talk," Clint suggested deciding to let Jack glimpse his life with the only man he loved.


End file.
